Jane Austen

An everyday life’s narrator, a great observer of the country world

Autobiographical features

• Jane Austen was born on 16th December 1775 in Steventon, the seventh child of Reverend George Austen and his wife Cassandra.

• At the age of eight Jane was sent to school with her sister Cassandra. Her education mainly consisted of French, music and dancing.

• After coming back home the two of them got used to spending their time in reading books , as their father owned a well furnished library.

• Thanks to those readings Jane started writing her own novels, observing with great attention the environment which surrounded her family, i.e. the landed gentry.

• During her lifetime Jane remained for 26 years in Steventon, then she settled in Bath in 1801. After her father’s death she moved to Southampton and she eventually stayed in Chawton, a little village where she spent her happiest years.

Main works

• Jane Austen’s novels were written in Steventon and Chawton, where she could live in a more genuine environment than in the city.

• Her novels, mostly based on the narration of love stories, are rich in details and endeavoured with a subtle sense of humour.

• Although she didn’t focus her attention on the historical happenings of the time, her novels pointed out a deep analysis of the psychology of every character together with objectivity.

• «Sense and Sensibility» ( publ. in 1811)

• «Pride and Prejudice» ( publ. in 1813)

• «Mansfield Park» ( publ. in 1814)

• «Emma» ( publ. in 1815)

• «Northanger Abbey» ( publ. in 1818)

• «Persuasion» ( publ. in 1818)

Pride and Prejudice

Plot

• The Bennets live with their five daughters in the countryside, in southern England.

• Their life is almost uneventful until the arrival of a rich gentleman, Mr Bingley, who is going to spend the summer in a rented house with his friend, the proud Mr Darcy .

• From this point the whole story is focused on gossip, scandals and love between the Bennet’s sisters and the rich gentlemen.

• After many troubles and misunderstandings the main couple, i. e. Elizabeth and Mr Darcy, eventually get married, overcoming their prejudices.

Main characters

• Elizabeth Bennet

• Mr Darcy

• Mr and Mrs Bennet

• Charles Bingley

• George Wickham

• Lady Catherine de Bourgh

• Mr Collins

Fortune

• «Pride and Prejudice» didn’t gain immediate achievements even though Lord Byron defined it «the fashionable novel». The popularity increased in time: the novel became one of the most appreciated books of manners.

• According to a BBC poll conducted in 2003, « Pride and Prejudice» turned out to be the second UK’s best-loved book.

Quotes

• “Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings.”• “A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from

admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.”

• “How quick come the reasons for approving what we like!”

• “In nine cases out of ten, a woman had better show more affection than she feels.”

by Marco L.